From the editor: Joe Burrow rumor officially launches us into silly season
In case you had any doubt, we’re in the throes of the silly season.
The term dates back to the mid 1800s, first appearing as a reference to the waning days of summer when news slowed to a crawl and papers in this country and Europe printed outlandish stories – some of them true – to grab attention at the newsstand. Today, silly season in the United States most commonly describes the months leading up to a presidential election. And for good reason.
Silly was on full display this past week when an internet-fueled rumor about Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made national headlines. Here’s a quick recap.
On Monday evening, supporters of the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for president, Kamala Harris, organized a “White Dudes for Harris” online rally that raised $4 million and drew an estimated 60,000 participants on Zoom, including The Dude himself, actor Jeff Bridges of “The Big Lebowski” fame. And he wasn’t the only celebrity. Actors Mark Hamill and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also were on the call, along with a roster of politicians that included U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who’s on the short list of possible running mates for Harris.
Not on the Zoom: Joe Burrow, despite what your social media feed might have told you.
While it’s hard to pinpoint who sparked the rumor, it’s easy to see who poured the gas.
Among the most egregious accelerants was “Kamala’s Wins,” an X account with more than 500,000 followers that tweeted this on Monday morning:
BREAKING: Joe Burrow is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and even joined the White Dudes for Kamala call.
The tweet was viewed more than 3 million times.
But was it true?
After a brief discussion in our early morning news meeting, we decided that while some rumors are best left alone – lest we give them more exposure – the viral nature of the alleged story demanded some fact-checking. The Enquirer's Kelsey Conway was among the first to report that the rumor was indeed false, a fact confirmed by the Bengals’ management.
The tweet has since been deleted, but we need to let the lesson linger.
We at The Enquirer promise to do our part, namely, serving as a reliable source to either confirm or quash political rumors that go viral, especially those that have local implications. But you have a role to play, too. When something silly pops into your feed, hold your outrage or jubilation – and lay off that share button – until you check at least two other legitimate news sources.
Yes, silly season is upon us. But with a little care, we don’t have to let things get into the realm of ridiculousness during the next three months. Hey, a dude can dream, can’t he?
•••
Please join me in congratulating two of my Enquirer colleagues.
Sharon Coolidge, my co-host on The Enquirer’s That’s So Cincinnati Podcast and our city hall reporter, was honored by the Society of Professional Journalists for her coverage of the Cincinnati Southern Railway sale. Coolidge took first place in the regional political reporting category, a national award.
Meanwhile, David Wysong, The Enquirer’s trending news editor, was selected by Forbes Magazine for its “30 Under 30 Cincinnati” list of emerging talent. Wysong, 28, launched our News of Now team, which creates audience-driven content that has contributed to year-over-year growth in digital readership. He also is the creative force behind The Enquirer’s TikTok account, which now has more than 20,000 followers.
Also on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Cincinnati: Joe Burrow.
And that’s no rumor.
Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joe Burrow White Dudes for Kamala Harris rumor launches silly season
